The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 111:1-10, “Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly.
2 Great are the works of the LORD; They are studied by all who delight in them.
3 Splendid and majestic is His work, And His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has made His wonders to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and compassionate.
5 He has given food to those who fear Him; He will remember His covenant forever.
6 He has made known to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are sure.
8 They are upheld forever and ever; They are performed in truth and uprightness.
9 He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.”

I was not the valedictorian of my high school class. In fact, I don’t even remember who was. Chances are, he
(or she) doesn’t remember, either! It’s a lot like eating: when you have finished the first course, you are
focused on the next course. That’s always the dessert! My focus was on college and a formal, in depth study
of the Bible, the Word of God!

I had dated girls when in high school, but that was behind me now! My focus could not be deterred. Nothing could distract me from the Scriptures. I had enjoyed my study of Latin in high school; now, my focus is going
to be on languages: more Latin in college; and then Greek! Hebrew would come in seminary. At least, this was my game plan.

In case that you hadn’t noticed, “game plans” are often distracted. Alas, mine was –because on the very first
day, I met the girl of my dreams. We finished college, got married, and intended to enter the mission field in Mexico as missionaries. Yet, the LORD intervened, and we ended up traveling the world conducting meetings,
encouraging missionaries and making new friends.

Rose Marie was a teacher, and she taught in several Australian schools. Our pastor, Rev. Phil Hayes, was
Irish. Yes, he had the brogue. It worked well for him, too, as we had to listen very carefully.

We visited Israel and had planned to put down roots there; yet, again the LORD redirected us elsewhere.

I need to say that every pastor I had had as a young person was special in his own way. Yet, it was while we
were in college and were having a coke after prayer meeting that Rose Marie taught me the Second Coming of Jesus Christ! I HAD NEVER HEARD IT! (…and I listened carefully to all of my pastors!).

Later, when I visited her home in the St. Louis area, I heard her pastor preach on the Second Coming of our LORD Jesus! Oh, how vital that study is! For the next thing on the LORD’s Timetable is the Coming of Jesus Christ for those who have trusted Him. The war raging in Gaza today is the premier of His Coming! Nothing in the LORD’s plan is being overlooked! The Church had better get ready! People had better come in faith to Jesus!

Yesterday, 18 January 1934, was Rose Marie’s birthday! She would have been 90 years old!

Have you been saved? Has the LORD forgiven you of your sins? –all of them!?? “Today is the Day of Salvation.
Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your heart! Tomorrow may never come for you!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Judges 6:20-24, “The angel of God said to him, ‘Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.’ And he did so.
21 Then the angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.
22 When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD, he said, ‘Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.’
23 The LORD said to him, ‘Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.’
24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it The LORD is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.”

There are scores of incidents on the Internet –incidents that avow things extremely difficult to believe. Considering the numberless situations that claim to be true, most are too fallacious for even
a nominal liar to believe.

Yet, escaping from the realm of the unbelievable, Gideon obeyed the will of God that was announced to him by the Angel of the LORD. Gideon laid his preparation of meat and unleavened bread on a rock specified by the
Angel; and the Angel touched the preparation with his staff. Fire sprang from the rock and consumed Gideon’s
preparation, and the Angel vanished from his sight. The message is clear: the LORD is pleased when we act
upon His instructions!

Gideon undoubtedly believed he would die since he had seen the Angel of the LORD “face to face.” What’s
more, Gideon had heard the voice of the LORD saying, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.” How would you respond to such a phenomenal occurrence?

I once knew a man, whose experiences in life were so phenomenal they were difficult to believe; yet, knowing him as I did, I knew they were true. Do you know the LORD sufficiently enough to believe Gideon’s experience?
Do you know the LORD sufficiently enough to believe Him?

How many times has your doctor prescribed medicines that you did not know? Why, then, would you take them? I submit that you took them because you believed in your doctor! That’s kind of the way it works. So,
How can you believe your doctor and dare to question God? The peace that the LORD pronounced upon
Gideon is no less powerful when He pours it out on you! Gideon built an altar and named it “The LORD is Peace.”

Are you at peace with the LORD? Has He worked within you to produce in you a true and faithful trust in Him?
Let Him build an Altar of Peace in your life. May it never, ever go away! Trust always in the LORD!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Judges 6:11-19, “Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites.
12 The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.’
13 Then Gideon said to him, ‘O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, “Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?” But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.’
14 The LORD looked at him and said, ‘Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?’
15 He said to Him, ‘O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.’
16 But the LORD said to him, ‘Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.’
17 So Gideon said to Him, ‘If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me.
18 “Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.’ And He said, ‘I will remain until you return.’
19 Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them.”

Don’t you just hate it when you’re in the midst of something and have it interrupted by something else? At that point, you don’t know whether what you had intended to present will be sufficient or
not! Undoubtedly, this thought was in the fore of Gideon’s mind. He knew it was the LORD, and to his credit, he did not seek to avoid the LORD or His plan for Gideon’s own life.

Knowing that it was necessary to present an offering to the LORD, and being fearful that the LORD would depart before he could prepare and present it, Gideon asked the Angel of the LORD to remain until he could prepare a proper offering.

When we are moved by the Holy Spirit to do what the LORD specifies, we want to do it properly.
We also need have no fear that the Spirit will leave or alter His plans before the preparations are complete. All we need is to follow the procedures He has previously given us. In Gideon’s case, the LORD had prepared him thoroughly.

Is there a procedure which the LORD has specifically prepared for you to do? If so, you need have
no fear in doing it. You certainly are not Gideon; but the Spirit of the LORD has not changed. He will
be with you! Just make sure you are trusting Him.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Exodus 4:2-9, “The LORD said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ And he said, ‘A staff.’
3 Then He said, ’Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
4 But the LORD said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail‘– so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand–
5 ‘that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.’
6 The LORD furthermore said to him, ‘Now put your hand into your bosom.’ So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow.
7 Then He said, ‘Put your hand into your bosom again.’ So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh.
8 ‘If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign.
9 ‘But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.’”

How many times have you been challenged to do something you’ve never done before? –or
challenged to do something that seemed impossible? That’s exactly what occurred with Moses.
He was being challenged by the LORD to face Pharaoh with a proposition. Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say?” (My dear, old grandma would have said, “Well, he just
hasn’t reckoned with the LORD.”)

It was the LORD’s response to Moses: “What is that in your hand?” Moses was probably stunned;
still, he said, “A staff.” He was undoubtedly never without it; but how could a staff be a challenge to
Pharaoh? The LORD had a lot to teach Moses. He has a lot to teach us, too.

“Lord, I can’t do that!” we often say. No, without Him, we cannot. But, did He not say, “…apart
from Me you can do nothing”? What is it that He is calling you to do? Whatever it is, it is possible
when the LORD is involved. The Scriptures are replete with “believers,” who professed their inability
to do what He told them! Yet, when they yielded to His will and call, He did it through them!

There’s a Scripture that says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own
understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5-6). Trusting Him is an act of faith. When it’s His stated plan for you, He will not allow it to fail. As they
would say in Australia, “Giv’ it a go, mate. He’s got ya hand.”

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Matthew 16:5-11, “And the disciples came to the other side of the sea, but they had forgotten to bring any bread.
6 And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7 They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring any bread.”
8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread?
9 “Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets full you picked up?
10 “Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up?
11 “How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Have you ever jumped to a conclusion? Of course, you have! So have I. This is precisely what the
disciples did when Jesus said, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and
Sadducees.” The word that misled them was the word “leaven.” Bread is edible when it is leavened.
The disciples misunderstood the LORD’s use of the word “leaven,” and came immediately to a
wrong conclusion.

There are scores of words that we use every day that have different meanings. They correctly heard what He said, but misunderstood what He meant when He said it. Someone once said, “Jesus said,
‘Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.’ Thankfully, there were only ‘leaven of them.”
Obviously, whoever said that missed the day’s reading and spelling lesson in school. Some words
are spelled alike, but have different meanings depending upon where and how they are used. We all need to be careful to learn to write clearly what we mean. That way, what we intend will not be
misunderstood.

Occasionally, you will possibly hear your pastor give words in Scripture their true meaning in their original languages of Hebrew or Greek. Those languages are taught in Biblical Schools to enable
pastors to accurately instruct their congregations of the Bible’s true and accurate meaning. We, too,
need to be careful to use Biblical words accurately. There are scores of books by reputable Bible
scholars that teach the original and historical meanings of Biblical words. Listen carefully to your
pastor. It is his responsibility to teach God’s Truth very clearly. Then it is our responsibility to
accurately share God’s Word with those who have never heard it. Be careful in teaching! But, be
careful not to neglect it.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom